Lead poisoning lingers as issue for children

Hazard affects 1 in 38 young children, CDC says

12:13 AM,
Apr. 5, 2013

Ruby Millhiser, 4, looks outside the window of her home in Green Bay on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012. The Millheisers had to replace their windows for fear of lead poisoning after they learned Ruby had high levels of lead in her system.

Written by

Alison Young
| USA Today

An estimated 535,000 young children in the United States have harmful levels of lead in their bodies, putting them at risk of lost intelligence, attention disorders and other life-long health problems, according to a new estimate released Thursday by federal health officials.

The number shows lead poisoning affects 1 in 38 children ages 1 to 5, according to the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"To the extent that Americans think this is a problem of the past, clearly this is evidence there is still a problem," said Rebecca Morley, executive director of the National ...